Pro Patria Mori
by Meep meep
Summary: As the war is over, it becomes time to remember the dead. Sequel to Dulce Et Decorum Est, don't read unless you've read that. Rated for the liklihood to make you cry


Disclaimer: I own none of it. Except Mackenzie, the minister, and the middle names. Oh, and the backdrop. By the way, Ginny's thoughts are in double speech marks, cos my pc doesn't always like italics (see this paragraph)

_Dedication: I dedicate this to all those people who read Dulce Et Decorum Est, and it made them think. This is for all those people wise enough to know that war is wrong._

_A.N.: I know what you're thinking. This is a sequel to Dulce Et Decorum Est, it's the funeral service. It is sad, morbid, upsetting and is about hiding behind a façade. So many people do this and it saddens me. But this is incorporating the war with people who say one thing when they know nothing of the terror of war, or the extent of the suffering they have caused with their speeches about fighting for your country. Today, people, is the day when you should stop and think about the wars, really think on it. Then I want you to read through, and at the end when you review, I want you to say to yourself: 'was it worth it?'_

Pro Patria Mori 

As time ebbed away, Ginny began to feel. She could almost pity them for their grief, she thought, looked to be great. It looked to be painful. But she couldn't quite feel for them – she just couldn't bring herself to care about their 'suffering'. They announced to crowds what they were going through. They used their pain for money and riches. The death of family members meant squat to them. All they had ever, and continued to, care about was the money.

'I am here today to guide you through this grievous time. Followers of the light, we are here to mourn the passing of our greatest friends, those that gave their life up so that we may remain here

'We celebrate our lives today. We celebrate our lives as a gift to us. Their last passing thought that happened to pass our way.'

"Passing thought! Nobody thought about the living when they died, they thought 'oh thank god it's finally over' or 'I'll never have to listen to their whiny voices again'!"

'These speeches, we pray, will find their way to our deceased loved ones so they know just how much we miss them. May we have the speeches, please?'

Ron stood and walked with head bowed along the carpet up to the altar.

'So many great people died in the war, we could never find the words to tell them how we mourn their passing. But they live on – their names will be passed to generations after us. They live on in the honor of their deaths, for they died the noblest ways.'

"Noble is all very well, Ronald, but noble means nothing when your, oh, say **DEAD! **WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT IT ANYWAY? YOU HADN'T THE GUTS TO JOIN THOSE 'GREAT PEOPLE' OF YOURS! **YOU DIDN'T FACE THE ENEMY**!"

Hermione stood as Ron moved from the rapturous applause caused by his speech.

'Some of the best people I know lie under those poppies' she started eyeing everyone left in the hall. The families of Pansy, Mackenzie and all the rest 'In fact, everyone I know and love; respect; or even liked them enough to say 'hi' each time we passed in the halls now lie under this backdrop. Part of the scenery. These people were brave enough, and kind-hearted enough, to die for the people in this hall. People who hated them and never hesitated to showing them this. They died, whilst everyone in this hall sat at home. We were never in danger. Not with these people fighting.'

She sat, ignoring the looks of betrayed horror at her words. Fred stood.

'I lost family and friends to this war. We should make sure this never happens again.'

George picked up.

'Not one person in this hall hasn't lost a loved one' he said, glaring daggers at Hermione 'so we must accept our lives as gifts from the dead.'

Ginny gave a derisive snort, which no one heard.

"Gift! GIFT! I'll give you gift!"

'And now, the lists.' Announced the minister, sniffling loudly, taking up his place behind the altar whilst muttering almost incoherent phrases like 'beautiful' and 'those poor people.'

'Sirius Phineas Black;

Millicent Astrid Bullstrode;

Seamus Patrick Finnegan;

Neville Frank Longbottom;

Remus Rudy Lupin;

Luscius Regulus Malfoy;

Draco William Malfoy;

Pansy Tiger-Lily Parkinson;

Mackenzie Rose…'

The list drove on and on, droning out thousands of names as the dead were read from the page.

'Severus Nicothedes Snape;

William Alexander Weasley;

Charles John Weasley; and

Blaise Wesley Connor Zabini'

The minister bent down as he spotted a small piece of paper, which looked to match with the rip in the lists he had read, on the floor. He picked it up, and his eyes almost bulged from their sockets.

Ginny laughed at that image. But it was a dark, bitter laugh. She knew what was on that paper.

'Also, the youngest of our deaths on the field,' he read, and as he looked up soft, pure white feathers floated from the ceiling and drifted their way onto the laps of all assembled.

'Ginevra Tabitha Weasley.'

Whilst those we loved are dead and gone,

They died for a cause they felt right,

And those that are the victors say,

They died fighting the fight.

Pure white feathers for the cowards,

Who remained lying low,

Pro Patria Mori,

We all reap what we sow.

A.N:So, how'd you like it? I want you to all review with how this made you think, and feel. Because I personally hate wars. They, to me, are a pointless waste of lives. What do you think?


End file.
